Mornings
by Niji Erhime
Summary: Xiao & Zhou enjoy a morning together. PWP & slight smut warning. Please read & review.


Zhou Yu was staring out the window, past the perfectly kept gardens, out onto the horizon where the sun was touching the top of the trees. They had slept late. Probably too late to make any good excuses that wouldn't sound as if they were a lie, but he didn't regret it. He wondered how many mornings would be like this, where he would be searching his mind for a story that sounded believable as to why he was late reporting to his lord. He glanced over at the bed where Xiao was lounging, stretched across the mattress, sheets wrapped around her body as she laid on her stomach looking at him. A glorious natural beauty, a bit untamed, but lovely none the less. It was a difficult thing not to stare at her.

He remembered his oath brothers words after their wedding. The Qiao's are virgins he announced, seemingly quite pleased by this. Perhaps the eldest was, but Zhou could attest that the Little Qiao was not. He probably should have been surprised by this, but wasn't. The minute he had met her he had felt the innocent coyness wasn't as innocent as others saw it. That some of her looks and moves were far more experienced than she let the public know. He couldn't remember the last time he had shared his bed with an untouched maiden and didn't think he would enjoy it at this point. He did enjoy being with his wife though.

He moved over to the bed, seating himself, lightly playing with her soft brown hair. "Who was your first?"

"My first what?" Xiao asked, innocently to some ears, but not to Zhou's.

He softly tapped the tip of her nose affectionately. "Don't be coy."

She rolled over on her back, stretching. "Lord Zhou Yu doesn't like a coy maiden? I guess I'll have to change my ways." The large smile that spread across her face was contagious and beyond beautiful.

"You are addictive." He leaned down to kiss her and she knew exactly how to trap him in the delicious sensation of it. He remained in her hold until she let him go. "You still have yet to answer my question."

"Isn't such a thing the same as asking a lady her age in public?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps."

"It was less than sensational I can assure you. And probably very dull to your ears. The experience almost made me not want to ever again, but I was quite positive it could be better." Her smile grew even bigger. "I am quite happy to announce that part was true."

"So you tease me with as little information as possible?"

"Why are you so curious?"

"Ce was quite positive you and your sister were untouched."

Xiao suddenly sat up, grabbing his arm earnestly. "Don't tell him. I never told Da and she would be so upset if she knew."

"You never told her?" Zhou was a bit surprised by this. The sisters shared what seemed to be every detail of their existence.

"Do you know how she would feel if I had? Even though I am simply the second daughter I have a reputation to uphold and it would be quite horrible if everyone knew."

"Then why did you...?"

"Oh, you are hopeless!" She hugged his arm, beaming up at him. "Because I was foolish! We were...playing around and I didn't know there was a point you couldn't control your body as you would hope you could and one thing led to another and...it happened. It was his first time as well and I'm happy to say it was our only time together."

"You're giving me horrible images of a secret meeting and a quick tumble in the stables."

A giggle escaped from her perfect lips. "That was exactly what it was, silly! I told you it was less than sensational. I'm sure your first time was a beautiful piece of work, with candle lights flickering deliciously upon your hair and skin, every touch and move planned and perfect." She stretched up, her body sliding up his so she could delicately kiss his lips. "Because that is how Lord Zhou Yu is." Her voice was low.

"Well, not quite like that. I worked for Yuan Shu at the time, you couldn't expect me to be able to afford that many candles, can you? But it definitely was not a romp in the hay." He heard her giggle some more. "So now I am to find out my wife is experienced with more than one man?"

"Don't act as if you're shocked. You knew very well our first night together." She felt his arms go around her, his fingers delightfully touching her skin. "But I'm not giving you numbers. No matter how much you try to coax it out of me."

"No?" He whispered, lips going to the side of her neck as his hand stroked down her side and over her lovely round bottom. He felt her body react to his touch, a smile touching his lips. "I can be very convincing."

"Mmmm..." She didn't resist his touch, nor pull away. Late mornings could lead to wonderful afternoons she had learned. "Try your best..."

"Was the second a man of the stables as well?" The hand went down her thigh, moving the sheets away from her body.

"Now did I ever say the first worked the stables? Let alone was anything more than a boy?" She shivered as the air touched her skin and pushed herself closer to him, searching for his warmth. "My circles did not revolve around simple people. Father would never allow that."

"What your father allowed and what Lady Xiao Qiao did I believe are two very different things."

"You're saying I was naughty? Or perhaps had loose morals? I am quite shocked, Lord Zhou Yu!" Her tone was far from scolding as much as she wanted it to be. It had become difficult not to giggle at some of his accusations, probably because they were so close to the truth. No one had ever questioned her before, never guessed some of her real intentions. It made her giddy that her husband knew her so well!

He leaned her back on to the bed, a hand sweeping into her hair. "You are in a good natured mood this morning." He observed.

"It is because I have you." Her words were quiet, and quite possibly the most serious she had said all morning. Her smile had calmed down to a beautiful tilt of the lips and she blinked a few times at him.

He leaned down to kiss her once again, feeling her arms encircle his neck to keep him with her even as he ended the physical endearment. "Yu. Please tell Ce to be careful with my sister. As he has said she has never been with a man and I don't want her scared."

"From the details Ce has shared with me he has been nothing but a gentleman with her."

"From the details I have heard from Da he isn't very big anyway." The comment was made casually, but in the end she went into such a fit of giggles she had to wrap her arms around herself to stop shaking from the mirth. It wouldn't have had been so funny if Yu had not made the face he had after she had uttered the words.

"I'm not positive I can speak to Ce now with a straight face after that statement." Unfortunately his comment only made her fall into her laughter fit even harder and he wondered if she was able to breathe. "Come now, my naughty wife. I do not think it is fair for Da to speak of such comparisons when she had no prior knowledge before hand." He was trying his best to defend his oath brother while on such a touchy subject.

"It is not Da who makes the comparison. It is I. She just gives a few details and I conclude the facts."

Yu held his tongue, trying not to dig himself deeper into the conversation or what might be said next if he asked what she was comparing it to, but he watched that twitch at the edge of her lips and knew some thing was about to be said. Still he retained his silence.

"Oh, come now, my husband." Xiao's smile grew. "After all your questions you can not utter the one that is now on your mind?" She pushed herself up towards him, her lips carefully placed by his ear so she could speak the next words in barely a whisper. "It is better for her I believe. And I am happy that concern is not mine when dealing with you." Rarely did she have to worry about embarrassing Yu, but she concluded her words had done just that and her fit of giggles did not escape as it may have.

"You are a vixen."

"As if that is something you do not like!"

"You are determined to get me in trouble, aren't you?" And there was that smile that had caught him, the innocently coy, yet knowing uplift of her lips, the sparkle in her eye that was not of girlish wonder, but of knowledge no one seemed to want to admit she had. It was a well played out game she had fashioned. To keep herself as perfectly sweet, if not a bit of a low intelligence, to the general public, only showing her true self to those she chose. He could only imagine how tedious this game was to her and why she enjoyed spending time within their chambers being her true self. A true self he found he did not mind at all.

"You say that as if you may not like trouble, dear love." She pushed herself away from him with a sigh, trying to untangle herself from the sheets. "I guess I may as well get dressed for the day."

He sat back watching as she seemed to tangle herself more before figuring out which way the sheets should really be set, flashes of flesh tantalizing him. "Why the rush now to begin the day?" He asked casually not bothering to stand, nor get dressed himself.

"Well, why not?" She had removed herself from the bed, throwing an end of the sheet over his lap as she stood upon the floor, the afternoon sun sending lighted patterns upon her skin. "How many excuses are you planning to use up for missing court."

"Oh, I don't worry about excuses any more." A smile twitched at the edge of his lips as she moved to the dresser. "I always tell Ce it is my wife that keeps me occupied." He came up behind her, sliding his hands down the sides of her body, feeling her shiver at his touch. "And that is not a lie, nor an excuse or alibi." His tone had lowered to a whisper.

It wasn't easy to ignore him, but she tried as she opened the first drawer, pulling out the top garment, glancing at it to keep her gaze away from him. "And what does Ce say?" She put the item back, pulling out another.

So this was a game she was playing, he determined. He did not intend to lose. "He can't say much as he says his wife keeps him very occupied as well." A slow smile came to his face as his fingers slowly went up her spine.

She giggled, slipping an arm into the robe. "You two are more similar than you care to admit."

"Is that a bad thing?" As she went to slide her other arm into a sleeve he deftly slipped the first off, watching as she frowned at the garment as if it had done so on its own.

"I guess not as many say we sisters are similar."

"That I do not believe." He couldn't figure out how he accomplished it as Xiao was very observant, but without even a word shared she accepted his offer to help put on the garment, but he did quite the opposite, and was now a simple pool of fabric at their feet.

Her lips twisted as she glanced at the floor, but determination made her open the door to the wardrobe side to see what was in there. If she kept herself busy she knew she could ignore him for a bit longer. "Why do you say that?"

"Similar in beauty and charm perhaps, but you are not meek, nor mild, nor are you often very proper."

She gave a small gasp, one that may be interpreted as shock and dismay, but she was not the type to swoon over such accusations. ..especially when he was right. "You're being a horrid beast right now!" She turned around to give him a slight swat on the arm. She hadn't even noticed the pile of garments growing on the floor.

"For what I said?"

She gave a giggle. "Well, I guess I can't fault you as I never strived to be any of those things."

"Only the truth spoken within this room's walls." He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "We both know you wish others to think you are like a copy of your sister. But then there is the freedom these enclosures provide."

Xiao closed her eyes, letting out a happy sigh. This was getting neither of them anywhere and at the rate the sun was moving across the sky it mattered little if they left these confines now or not. Her husband may think he was winning some kind of battle of wills but she had him exactly where she liked him - right next to her. And the fact he was now kissing her was also pleasant. Without missing a beat she stepped up into the closet section of the wardrobe giving a mischievous smile as he broke the kiss, tilting his head in confusion. Xiao didn't give him time to contemplate what was happening before she pulled him inside with her, giggling at his noise of protest.

"We both fit in here!" She contradicted any statement he may have been trying to utter as she reached to close the door. "And don't deny you knew that!"

It was mere moments later that the maid entered the room tsking at the condition of the items thrown carelessly around. It never failed that these rooms needed organized. And everyone considered the Lord Zhou to be so tidy! It wasn't until she bent over to pick up the garments by the wardrobe that she paused, blinking a few times before realizing what she heard was coming from the wardrobe closet. She covered her mouth with a hand keeping back the laughter that wanted to escape. Well, THAT explained a few things!

She carefully placed the gowns across a chair before taking her leave. She had no intentions of disturbing the Lord and Lady at the moment to tidy a room that would not stay that way for long!

_So there is my story for the "Write the same couple as the other" dare. Even though I did have fun with it I can admit it is not as good as Scandalous, but then again I don't think I was trying for that level lol_

_I was done with this story long before Erhime was done with her's, but I resisted the urge to post it as it was her turn. _

_Please leave a review and look forward to our next challenge - "OCxCharacter" _

_-Niji_


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